Yankees Game 35: Extra opportunities give and take in loss

Opportunities were taken advantage of on both sides in tonight’s game.

After a quick first inning for Milwaukee Brewers starter Kyle Lohse, CC Sabathia made his return to his brief home in 2008. When he was acquired in 2008, Sabathia put the Brewers on his left arm, starting 17 games, he went 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA. The Brewers crowd gave Sabathia a very warm welcome.

The Brewers did not.

Leadoff hitter Carlos Gomez would pull his hands in on a fastball and hit a monstrous home run to give the Brewers the early lead. In the third inning, the Yankees would strike back thanks to an extra opportunity.

After Brendan Ryan got his first hit of the season, CC Sabathia hit into a double play. With two outs, catcher Jonathan Lucroy would be called on catcher’s interference. Extra opportunity with two outs, Brett Gardner took advantage of it, hitting a triple down the right field line. Carlos Beltran would hit a bloop single over the shortstop to give the Yankees the lead.

The Brewers got their extra opportunity in the bottom of the third inning. Leading off the inning, Kyle Lohse would ground out and Gomez would strike out. With two outs, Jean Segura would hit a ground ball to shortstop Brendan Ryan, normally an exceptional defensive shortstop, committed an error. The extra opportunity with two outs, Jonathan Lucroy would hit a two-run home run to make up for his error. Aramis Ramirez would go back-to-back with a home run of his own. Three runs after the error and the Brewers had a two run lead.

CC Sabathia would settle down until the sixth inning. A walk and a pair of singles would be the end for Sabathia, much later than most expected. In 5.1 innings, CC Sabathia allowed four runs, one earned, on eight hits while walking one and striking out four. Dellin Betances would inherit the bases loaded. Easy work for the big Betances. He would proceed to strike out pinch hitter Scooter Gennett and Carlos Gomez to keep the Yankees close.

In the top of the sixth inning, Mark Teixeira hit his sixth home run of the season to pull the Yankees within one. In the seventh inning, Joe Girardi saw his scoring opportunity after Kyle Lohse was taken out for a pinch hitter in the sixth inning. Against reliever Tyler Thornburg, Kelly Johnson came in for Brendan Ryan. Johnson would walk and for pitcher Betances, pinch-hitter Ichiro Suzuki would hit a single up the middle to put two on and no one out. Zach Duke would replace Thornburg and get Jacoby Ellsbury to fly out. Pinch hitter Alfonso Soriano would come in for Brett Gardner and he would hit a single to right field against the shift to tie the game. Joe Girardi made all the right moves in the inning, calling on three pinch hitters who all reached base.

Because Betances was pinch-hit for, Alfredo Aceves would come in to pitch the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Lucroy would hit a double to deep right field that Beltran could not come up with. With two outs, Aceves would flinch on the mound for the balk and Rickie Weeks would hit a seeing eye single past the diving shortstop Solarte to give the Brewers the lead once again in the back-and-forth game.

Will Smith and Francisco Rodriguez would be lights out for the eighth and ninth innings, respectively. Opportunities proved to be huge in tonight’s game.